In November 1888 Yogananda went to Puri with Holy Mother and stayed there three months. Then, in February 1889, he went to Kamarpukur with Holy Mother; she stayed there for a year. During that time Yogananda left on pilgrimage and visited Deoghar, Gaya, Prayag, Chittrakut, and Omkarnath. After returning to Prayag, Yogananda fell ill with chicken pox. When this news reached Baranagore Monastery, Vivekananda and some other disciples rushed to Prayag and took care of Yogananda until he recovered.
Around this period a crucial incident took place in Yogananda’s life, which was later narrated by Shivananda:
Swami Yogananda was a highly evolved soul. He was extremely handsome and had a manly body. Once he was travelling in Central Province, and he was alone in a train car. At a particular station when the train was about to leave, a beautiful courtesan hurriedly got into the same car with her luggage. As soon as her eyes fell on Yogananda, she was infatuated and begged him, “I offer my everything to you, please accept me.” When Yogananda did not respond, she became impatient and threatened him, “If you don’t listen to me right now, I shall pull the alarm chain to stop the train, and I shall complain to the guard that you had molested me.” She was carrying a bottle of wine in her bag. She began to drink the wine to become more excited, but it had the opposite effect. She became so drunk that she passed out on her seat. When the train reached the next station, Yogananda got off the train unharmed. Look, what grace of the Master! Who else can protect except he?